Hope for baby boomers and their aching joints is on the horizon. A newly developed medical imaging technology is making early diagnosis for osteoarthritis possible for the first time.

Catching the disease early—before it degrades joints and disables its victims—would open a window of opportunity for preventing or reducing permanent damage, especially with evidence that dietary supplements like glucosamine and chondroitin can halt further joint degeneration, says Alexej Jerschow, PhD, who reported on the research with Ravinder Regatte, PhD, at the National Meeting of the American Chemical Society in August.

Currently half of all people ages 65 and older have osteoarthritis and it’s the most common cause of hip or knee replacement surgery at all ages. The new test uses a modified form of MRI to measure the concentration of glycosaminogycan (GAG), a polymer that holds lots of water and gives cartilage its tough, elastic properties. GAG is also a biomarker for both osteoarthritis and degenerative disc disease—a common cause of back pain.

A low concentration of GAG is related to the onset of osteoarthritis and other cartilage disorders. The test could also be used to improve existing cartilage-boosting drugs, Regatte says. Currently, it's hard to tell whether drugs have been effective without a diagnostic tool to measure their effects on cartilage.